Late Arrival Of Electoral Materials, Voters Apathy Mar LG In C’River

The late arrival of election materials, non-availability of election officials and voter apathy have marred the ongoing Local Government election in Cross River State.

Our Correspondent who monitored the the election in both Calabar Municipality and Calabar South noticed that as of 1 pm, election materials had not arrived in some polling units.

At Ikot Ansa (ward 8), polling units 05, 07, 019, 019, 020, 025, 030, and 031 had no presiding officers, those who brought the materials had to go away because party agents who had gathered to monitor the election asked for a stamp which they said they forgot.

At Ikot Efa, a Counsellorship aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) told our Correspondent that there were no materials for election in ward 7, polling unit 8 as well an absence of a presiding officer.

In Calabar Municipality, our Correspondent observed that voters were just milling around waiting for officials of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) who were nowhere in sight.

However, voters in Calabar South trooped out for the election which went on without any hitch. Unlike Calabar Municipality where potential voters were few, and materials did not arrive on time, the situation in Calabar was different as every polling unit was crowded and both polling officials and materials were on ground.